Peanut butter can be pretty fatty depending on the brand so that doesn't actually surprise me if the vet wants him on a low fat diet.

If you start having issues with him eating that ask your vet about adding in some rabbit. Just becarefull about making it the primary protien source as its SO low fat you can cause the opposite sort of health problems!

Thanks, he loves chicken (even boiled and bland) and if I mix it with a little of the prescription food it works! Rabbit is a little exotic for me to consider, those recipes on the website you suggested are good but time consuming to make. Just ran out to CVS to get him some Pepcid (antibiotics don't agree with his stomach) he can have 10 mg per day, he's about 15 pounds. So far so good!

Raw Food for Dogs: A Risk or a Cure-All?

Dréa Peters, the founder of Curly Tail Pug Rescue, says raw elk meat saved the life of Chloe (on lap), who was suffering from seemingly untreatable allergies, lesions and tumors.

By CHRISTINE WHITNEY

Published: February 15, 2012

IF your dog turns up his nose at high-end prepared dog food — perhaps too effete for its taste — another foodie trend might be an option: raw food.

It’s not that pets are dining on hamburger meat straight from the package, but rather on specially prepared foods like uncooked lamb livers and bison, and alfalfa sprouts and kale.

Teresa Logan, a fashion stylist and doting owner of a 2 ½-year-old Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix named Penny, recently switched her dog to a raw diet (chicken, rabbit or venison with mixed vegetables; carrot medallions and red peppers for snacks) after some digestive issues. Ms. Logan said she’s been happy with the results. “Her coat looks good, her stomach is good, and she’s even slimmed down,” she said. “It’s like the difference between eating junk food and eating health food.”

At dog runs around New York, many pet owners shared stories about how they’ve put their dogs on the Diet. They include Sonya Wilcox, who switched Petey, her Boston terrier, to raw turkey and vegetables a year and a half ago to treat his “terrible dry, brittle coat” and severe allergies. Dréa Peters, the founder of Curly Tail Pug Rescue, credits a diet of raw elk meat with saving the life of Chloe, her pug, who was suffering from seemingly untreatable allergies, lesions and tumors.

Raw dog diets aren’t a new concept (many dogs were fed uncooked meat before kibble was introduced in the 1950s), but the raw foodist niche in the pet-care industry is a relatively recent development. And some veterinarians are skeptical.

Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a spokeswoman for the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan, said that she was not inclined to recommend a raw-food diet for her patients. “There are too many risks associated with it,” she said, among them sanitary issues (the food carries microbes that could harm either the pet or humans in the household) and the possibility that the diet is not nutritionally balanced.

And while some dog owners make the argument that, in the wild, these animals would have eaten raw food, she pointed out: “Dogs have been domesticated and living with us for, some of them, centuries. A raw food diet is not necessarily going to agree with these animals whom we’ve imposed our lifestyles on.”

Still, those who believe in the power of raw food are hard to dissuade.

Geoff Bowers, founder of New Zealand-based K9 Natural, a line of raw dog food, suspects the burgeoning raw-pet-food market reflects the broader interest in healthful eating. “People are looking for more and more natural products,” he said, “and since pets are considered members of the family, they want healthier options for them, too.” Mr. Bowers, a former police-dog trainer, said he converted to raw feeding after studying Alaskan wolf packs, because he became convinced that “nature provides the perfect food” for dogs.

Phil Klein, owner of the East Village holistic pet-supply store Whiskers, started selling raw food in 1988. Known to his fans as the Dogfather, Mr. Klein has published articles on the importance of feeding animals natural cuisine and keeps thick binders of thank-you notes from local pet owners who swear the raw diets he recommended cured their charges of everything from dandruff to diabetes.

“Though pet owners using raw foods are still only maybe 2 or 3 percent of the total, the popularity of these diets is indicated by the fact that the big box stores like PetCo are latching on,” Mr. Klein said. “It’s become hip.”

I had my dog on Iams for a year. He developed allergoes (common in bulldogs) and the groomer suggested an all natural venison dog food- cost a fortune! 2-3 months later he developed bladder stone and needed surgery ASAP! I then made his food for a while- potatos, chicken, etc for a while. Finally I had enough and switched back to Iams for my 2 dogs and have not had any problems in the last 4 years. I know Iams is not the cheapest, but my experience just proves that more expensive does not necessarily mean better. My mom also has had a few dogs in her lifetime and swears by store brand dog food- and they all lived 14-16 years.Posted by sntocci

My dog was on one of the "high quality dog foods" and developed bladder stones...I'm starting to wonder if maybe they add too much protein, magnesium and minerals/vitamins that contribute to stone formation? Never had this problem with the cheap stuff!

The issue with grocery store pet foods is not that corn is used as a "filler'" but that corn and corn gluten are used as a cheap source of protein. This means dogs are getting a significant portion of their protein from vegetable, rather than animal sources. In fairness, there is no absolute proof that one source is better than the other. However, most of us feel that dogs should get their protein from animal sources. That's when you move into premium foods.

If, on the other hand, you are going to prepare a diet of whole foods - cooked or raw - for your dog, or significantly augment (more than one-third of daily calories) a commerial diet, you will need to do some research on how to balance the diet. A human diet cannot be used as a model. Dogs have different nutritional needs. It's not rocket science, but it is science. Over time, an unbalanced diet can have significant consequences.

I had my dog on Iams for a year. He developed allergoes (common in bulldogs) and the groomer suggested an all natural venison dog food- cost a fortune! 2-3 months later he developed bladder stone and needed surgery ASAP! I then made his food for a while- potatos, chicken, etc for a while. Finally I had enough and switched back to Iams for my 2 dogs and have not had any problems in the last 4 years. I know Iams is not the cheapest, but my experience just proves that more expensive does not necessarily mean better. My mom also has had a few dogs in her lifetime and swears by store brand dog food- and they all lived 14-16 years.Posted by sntocci

If you're still around, just curious regarding your dog with the bladder stones, shouldn't he be on a special diet? I just went through this with a Pekingese and I'm doing a laundry list of things to prevent reoccurrence, as I've read that in 50% of dogs the stones come back. I have two other dogs that were on the same diet with no problems, so there is a strong genetic component (common in certain breeds) Also they recommend a f/u evaluation, x-ray, u/a etc every three months, anyway I'm keeping a close eye on him. Hope your dog is doing well.

I haven't read through all the posts, so don't know if anyone has had problems with it, but Stella recently got really sick from Orijen dog food. Bloody stool, vomiting, lethargy, etc. We took her off the food, did an elimination diet for two weeks and then started her on Fromm. It's completely grain-free and she loves it. Back to her old puppy self again!

Thank you! I know, it's been awhile. I can't tell you the fear I had when all this happened. I knew she was too young for anything too serious, like the big C, but you never know. Trial and error with her food, but now we know she a bit of a sensitive stomach.

Sometimes it has nothing to do with their diet. They just get into stuff, like poisoned rodents from a neighbor's property or lawn care/weed killer chemicals. Most of the time they vomit and have diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea) for about 72 hours and then get better. Although, I would take the animal to the vet if this goes on more than 24-36 hours, IV fluids can do wonders to hasten recovery!

I thought it was the piece of cheesecake she stole after Easter, or the bacon and eggs she scoffed a week later (my BIL is currently staying with us and he's not used to having a dog around yet!) but the sickness went on for a month which coincided with her Orijen diet. Now that she's off the Orijen, she's been so much better so we're blaming the food.

Here's a recent picture of Stella. She's patiently waiting for me to throw the ball!

Sometimes it has nothing to do with their diet. They just get into stuff, like poisoned rodents from a neighbor's property or lawn care/weed killer chemicals. Most of the time they vomit and have diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea) for about 72 hours and then get better. Although, I would take the animal to the vet if this goes on more than 24-36 hours, IV fluids can do wonders to hasten recovery!Posted by dog-lady

I would still consider it a great food for other dogs, but now that she's on a grain-free diet, I think her system is just too sensitive for anything else.
In response to "Re: cheap dog food Question for Angellvets":

Thanks for sharing, she looks great now. Orijen is considered to be one of the better brands, good to know.
Posted by dog-lady